1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a developing agent container and an image forming apparatus, and more specifically, to a developing agent container and an image forming apparatus capable of realizing the replenishment work of developing agent with no concern for leakage of the developing agent, instead of the work of replacing a developing agent container while paying careful attention so that the developing agent may not leak.
2. Related Art
An image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic recording method that exposes an electrostatic latent image on the basis of image data to form a toner image on the surface of an image carrier fabricated of a photoconductive material is known conventionally. In this image forming apparatus, a developing device (process unit) performs toner development of making toner (developing agent) adhere to the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image carrier to develop the image, and then transfers the toner image to a recording medium, such as recording paper, to form an image.
In this type of image forming apparatus, the toner to develop the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image carrier is reserved within the body of the apparatus so that it can be supplied to a developing device, and this toner is consumed whenever images are formed on recording paper, etc. Therefore, a method of replenishing toner to a hopper that reserves the toner to reserve the toner is adopted (for example, refer to Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-30605U and Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-76112B), and a method of replacing a container for reserving toner to replenish the toner is adopted (for example, refer to Japanese Patent No. 3570714).
Here, since the toner is fine powder, if the toner falls or leaks during replacement of a container, and then floats in the shape of smoke, it may be stuck on surroundings, polluting them, and the cleaning thereof becomes troublesome. For this reason, various studies have been made so that toner may not leak during replenishment of toner or replacement of a container (for example, refer to Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-30605U and Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-76112B). Further, a method of reducing the volume of a toner container to be replaced, facilitating handling of the container, is performed (for example, refer to Japanese Patent No. 3570714).
However, the developing agent containers as described in the above publications requires various kinds of work, such as the work of removing the container from the apparatus body side, and the work of connecting a new container to the apparatus body side, which are troublesome. Further, when the developing agent container is connected to the apparatus body side among the above kinds of work, multi-stage actions, such as fitting or twisting the container are needed, and even when the container is removed, multi-stage actions, such as fitting or twisting the container are needed. This is troublesome.
Moreover, in such developing agent containers, various studies that prevent toner from leaking out during replenishment work of toner have been made. However, since toner may leak out from the developing agent container removed from the apparatus body side and may pollute an operator and its surroundings, the operator should perform the work while paying careful attention so that the toner may not leak out, which is troublesome.
Further, among developing agent containers other than those described in the above publications, there is a developing agent containers of a type that is mounted to the apparatus body side after a toner replenishing port is opened.
In this type of developing agent container, careful attention is required so that toner may not leak out during mounting of a toner container to the apparatus body side. Also, since toner has adhered to a sealing film removed to open the toner replenishing port, careful attention should be paid so as to prevent toner from adhering to surroundings and polluting them, even in the disposal of the container. This is troublesome.